Grammar is a term for the rules governing the use of any given language. Along with diction (choice of words), it is an important part of quality communication. Technical communication deliverables are often judged by these rules, and as a result, technical communicators are often relatively skilled in the theory and practice of them. Grammar is often discussed in the contexts of rhetoric, writing, editing, presentations and collaboration.
#22134
This page collects a series of notes from readers of my newsletter, and my responses to those notes, arising from an article in issue 60, 13 May 2002. I thank those who took the time to write and explain why some hyphen usage is considered to be correct or incorrect.
Hollis Weber, Jean. Technical Editors Eyrie (2002). Articles>Writing>Style Guides>Grammar
#28167
The Wicked Which and Other Fairytales
Popular culture is filled with myths about grammar. Taught by generations of English teachers, these stories admonish little children to cling to the straight and narrow path, rather than venturing into the woods of creative communication. Some of these stories are usage guidelines rather than rules, but others are pure fantasy, the flight of some pedagogue's imagination.
Wenger, Andrea. Carolina Communique (2005). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#23168
A slideshow that presents some often-confused elements of English grammar.
Gururaj, B.S. STC India (2003). Presentations>Writing>Grammar
#28169
When you scan job postings for technical communicators, you'll find prospective employers seeking candidates who have an understanding of current technology, working knowledge of publishing tools, and time management skills. A bullet may ask for 'excellent writing and editing skills,' but that bullet rarely appears at the top of the list. Not for me.
Harvey, Michael. Carolina Communique (2005). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#27448
Writing Technical Specifications in the Present
Technical specifications are improved in several ways with one easy procedure - writing them in the present tense. That is, rather than trying to specify constraints on a product that does not yet exist, describe the product as though it already existed.
Kendall, Matthew. Ionocom (2005). Articles>Writing>Specifications>Grammar
#32126
Basics for Communicating Clearly
Like the pronouns I, he, she, we, and they, the pronoun who is used as the subject of a verb.
Shacklock, Linda. STC Phoenix (2006). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#32559
Setting professional-looking typography is all about attention to detail. Hyphenation is one of these critical details: what and where to hyphenate, and, in some cases, what not to hyphenate. There are times you don’t want text to break at the end of a line, such as a proper name, a phone number or a URL. But if you leave the choice up to auto-hyphenation, it can happen without your consent. This is when the nonbreaking hyphen comes in handy. A nonbreaking hyphen is not really a hyphen; rather, it is a command not to hyphenate. When placed in front of a word or a group of characters acting as a word, such as a phone number, web address or email address, that word will not be hyphenated. This is helpful not only in text, but also in headlines that you don’t want breaking onto two lines.
Strizver, Ilene. Upper and lowercase Magazine (2008). Articles>Typography>Grammar
#33450
When I began writing technical documentation and courseware for Guru Labs, I asked a question during training about whether we should be putting two spaces after a period, colon, question mark and exclamation point, or one. The answer shocked me, as I was hoping for the standard answer as a means of teaching the rest of my colleagues. The answer was ONE space, not two. Then, I listened to the argument.
Toponce, Aaron. Aaron Toponce (2008). Articles>Writing>Style Guides>Grammar
#33598
We see it everywhere: our schools, our places of business, even in notes stuck on our refrigerator. Yes, my friends, I’m talking about apostrophe abuse. The Obama administration, faced with two wars and an economy teetering on the edge of disaster, is unlikely to make this a priority. So it’s our duty as professional communicators to stamp it out.
Wenger, Andrea. Carolina Communique (2009). Articles>Communication>Diction>Grammar
#33886
We see it everywhere: our schools, our places of business, even in notes stuck on our refrigerator. Yes, my friends, I’m talking about apostrophe abuse. The Obama administration, faced with two wars and an economy teetering on the edge of disaster, is unlikely to make this a priority. So it’s our duty as professional communicators to stamp it out.
Wenger, Andrea. Carolina Communique (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#34206
Review: Fifty Years of Stupid Grammar Advice 
April 16 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of a little book that is loved and admired throughout American academe. Celebrations, readings, and toasts are being held, and a commemorative edition has been released. I won't be celebrating. The Elements of Style does not deserve the enormous esteem in which it is held by American college graduates. Its advice ranges from limp platitudes to inconsistent nonsense. Its enormous influence has not improved American students' grasp of English grammar; it has significantly degraded it.
Pullum, Geoffrey K. Chronicle of Higher Education (2009). Articles>Reviews>Style Guides>Grammar
#34432
Technical Writing - Writing in “Standard Written English”
As technical writers, we’re much better off when we write in a way that follows the dictates of Standard Written English (SWE). We can believe all we want that one person’s way of writing is just as good as another. And, in private use, it is. But we know perfectly well that a person who writes the kind of material we do who doesn’t have what’s generally considered “good” language skills won’t be considered a professional - and won’t get work.
Adar, Bryan S. Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#34785
Which Way Your Sentences Branch – Right or Left?
Try right-branching sentences in your technical documents for higher comprehension. Right-branching sentences start with the subject, follow it with primary verb (or sometimes the other way around if the verb is in imperative/order mode), and then end with modifiers and other relevant information. What branches off to the right of the subject and the verb is all the additional information you want to get across.
Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar>Usability
#34884
Misplaced Modifier – Even WSJ Falls For It
“Misplaced modifier” is a frequently committed logical error that even the most prominent publications fall for occasionally. Solution? Move the modifier clause right next to the subject of the sentence.
Technical Communication Center (2007). Articles>Writing>Editing>Grammar
#35028
The Technical Stylist Meets the Definite Article
Take the definite article. Please. The editors at SAS continue to struggle with the question of which SAS product names require the definite article and which require the zero article (linguist-speak for no article at all).
Underwood, Kathy. STC Technical Editing SIG (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#35221
I learnt that a verb is the most essential part of speech. So, I thought investing a little time to learn to use it better (if not master it) might not be a bad idea. But then, there are so many aspects of a verb. Can I ever say I learnt it? I can try one proven (presumably by the British) method: divide and conquer. I will start with the voice of a verb, the much-talked-about aspect of a verb.
Palagummi, Sharada. Indus (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#35222
One of the difficult concepts to understand in the English language is perhaps the manner in which articles are used in a sentence. Over the course of one's life history, every student of English has had to face this nightmare at one point of time or another. The verbs are all in place and you know the nouns, the pronouns are fairly obvious, and the prepositions can eventually be worked out, but what comes before the word year and what comes before SMS is tricky.
#35282
Grammar on the Web: Some Rules of Thumb for Business
Now that Twitter’s 140 character limit has become commonplace, web shorthand techniques are once again in full use. So what should you, as a businessperson, know about grammar use on the web? Is it ever appropriate to use this type of language shorthand? It’s actually a complicated matter, which is why I’ve written up this short guide on grammar on the web for business.
Parr, Ben. Open Forum (2009). Articles>Web Design>Business Communication>Grammar
#35496
A clear, well-illustrated guide to when one should (or should not) use an apostrophe.
Oatmeal, The (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar>Technical Illustration
#35585
When you set yourself up as a grammar expert it's better than being an expert on plastics. To be an expert on plastics you actually have to know something about plastics. With grammar the analogous thing doesn't hold. Nobody asks, nobody checks, nobody knows enough to get suspicious. You are free as a bird to publish any garbage you might want to type out.
Pullum, Geoffrey K. Language Log (2009). Articles>Education>Writing>Grammar
#35587
Order in the Sentence: Introductions
The basic sentence in English is noun-verb-object: The player hit the ball. But we seldom leave it at that. We add things on the front. We add things on the back. We interrupt the sentence to say something else, and then come back to the sentence. We vary the basic sentence structure. And, in the most extreme cases, we substitute other things for the noun, the verb, and the object. All of this gives us great flexibility in creating sentences, but this very flexibility leads us to the problem of which variation to choose, and why.
Ruby, Jennie. I Came, I Saw, I Learned (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar
#35641
Do You Suffer from Grammar Obsessive Disorder?
We look at the symptoms of this scourge of professional communicators—and offer help on how you can cope with its virulent manifestations.
MyRaganTV (2009). Humor>Multimedia>Video>Grammar
#35743
I was disappointed yesterday when, while cruising Facebook, I noticed a national pharmacy company’s request for me to “fan” them. I simply cannot agree to become a fan of a company that thinks turning nouns into verbs is hip and thereby will increase its customer base. If they had instead asked me to “become a fan”, I may have indeed considered it.
Sohayda, Jeannine. Daily Writing Tips (2009). Articles>Writing>Diction>Grammar
#35751
Subordinate Clauses and Commas
Writers like to sprinkle their work with subordinate clauses because they add variety to sentence structure. A reading diet too heavy with simple sentences or even compound sentences becomes wearisome quickly. Subordinate clauses—also known as dependent clauses—used skillfully can add complexity and artfulness to writing.
Landis, Jacquelyn. Daily Writing Tips (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar
